Victoria Magazine March/April 10

Where I Create

Subscribe To Gina Galvin's Bloggatorium

There isnt enough space on this little page to even begin to bore you with all the details of my INCREDIBLY full life. I have had many different events and experiences that have molded who I am, and what I love. I adore people, I find them amazing and really get a kick out of the different personalities that make up the general public. I love my family. I have an incredible husband, two terrific kids, 3 amazing stepkids and a mountain of people that I am blessed to call my freinds.I am lucky to have one understanding and outnumbered partner (The lone male in the group), and terrific co-workers who never seem to lack enthusiasm. I am sure I will slowly introduce them all to the blog world. They are certainly worthy of recognition. I am an animal nut, and have a literal menagerie that I too will divulge as time goes on, I have a PASSION for decorating, and all things beautiful, worn, loved and of course french.......

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Oh, Today was a fun day. FINALLY the new goodies have started to arrive at the loading dock. I can hardly stand it. The guys are trying to heave these heavy boxes around, while I am running inbetween them with a razor knife just wanting to "peak" at the stuff in the boxes. I have to say they are pretty patient with me, and I think they only talk about me behind my back. I took some of the new goods and set up little vignettes so I can start photographing and getting some of these things up on the website, not to mention a CATALOG. OH, I am just overwhelmed in what goes on to get these pics up. It isnt like a poloroid, point, click, shake and ta da......perfect pictures everytime... OH, no,....this is Oh, where the heck is THAT shadow coming from? why is it so blurry>?, It looks white in the picture, but it is really green. I will get the hang of it. But I thought I would send some untouched photos of goodies just so you can get the idea of what we will be up to.

Isnt this neat? The whole fixture folds up flat to store away, but I think it is great looking folded up on the wall as well.

I have so many new lanterns coming in with great chipped distressed paint. I just love lanterns, they give a room instant warmth and welcome whether they encase a candle or a collage of your favarite treasure.......!

I love these giant sofa sized prints of the archetecture of Paris. They are printed on a granual type paper which give them a real blueprint feel. The Parisian mantel clock is a very heavy piece, and is made with actual convex glass. It is a real bargain.

This is so fantastic, It is a high resolution scan of actual botanical studies. They are printed on a matte finish high res. paper, which makes you have to "touch" them to see if they are truly real studies or not. They are complete with the tape marks that would have held them in place years ago. The look is complete with a heavy twine to hang it from, the size is an impactful sofa size, to hang in a hall, above a fireplace, or my favorite....centered right above your potting bench. The scrap board that is also featured is a great detailed frame, with twisted wire to hold all your precious momentos. The background is covered in a great linen cloth complete with a twine to hang. I love this "natural" botonist look don't you?

This little cage is a reproduction of a little french cage top but with some minor modifications. The bottom of this little guy pops off so you can place a plant, or a collection of goodies all inside this wonderful little garland swagged cage...This is so so sweet. If anyone is an altered art artist, I think this would be an amazing little cage bottom for the altered art dolls. Someone please make one and send me a picture....It would be wonderful.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

I Have a passion for Cherubs, Cupids, Putti and all adorable baroque babies. I thought I would run around the house and simply post just a smidgen of the plethora of Putti that I possess.

This is a massive painting that I aquired with my husband in an antique store in beautiful summerland California almost fifteen years ago. When I saw it I HAD to have it........Well...It now hangs above a fireplace in my dining room.

This is the headboard in my guest bedroom.....I cant imagine a man every sleeping in this room, it is sooooooo feminine. My husband calls this my "packrat room" because It looks like an edwardian packrat moved in.

This is the most detailed Amphora porcelain bisque that is almost 2ft tall. I keep her in a large reliquary vitrine from Europe with a hand embroidered satin pouch that contains my love letters. I must say , I am very fortunate to say I have some of the most beautifully written letters from my husband that I will always cherish, along with love letters written by my son when he was in first and second grade. when they still want to "marry thier mom" hahahaha

This AMAZING marble bust has a huge story to go along with it.......Well, it is from Paris, and one of my favorite dealers in Paris had this beautiful cherub....Let me tell you, when I saw it my heart started racing and I couldnt get the words out fast enough,.....Pardon Moussier, Les Prix Sil vous plas???????? ( excuse me, the price Please????? Well, I had already figured if I had to break the bank I WANTED IT!!!!AND BAD!!!!!!!!!! Well, My Husband ( Who is an avid antiquer and Fantastic about letting me get what I want) says to me, "I don't care, but I AM NOT CARRYING THAT!!!! You can ship it home....WELL....... HMMmmmmmm...I am NOT going to PAY a million dollars to ship ONE item home, and it ways 150 pounds....Sooooooooo I begged etc, said I would carry it etc....Nothing worked....Well needless to say, I left the little angel in Paris, I just couldnt justify the 2000. shipping price tag....I am too cheap for that...I dont mind paying for STUFF...but not things that you cant touch, or see.......URHG....... it was sooooooooooo frustrating..... Well, 6 months later, I brought a group of girls to Paris to go to the flea markets.....(Once a year I will excort a group of girls to paris for a long weekend of FUN and shopping, shopping, shopping....) Flea market shopping that is...... So, back to the story, we go to the stall of this dealer, and guess what????? Yep, my Angel was there waiting for me......I couldn't run fast enough to the "bureau de change) To get the cash off my credit card....OH,Yeah, I was sooooooo excited. So I had the Dealer deliver my baby to the hotel....Then came time to leave...I guess he weighs alot more that you would think.....ALOT MORE!!! Well , I was NOT going to put him in luggage, He HAD to be carried on.....SOoooooo, I went and got a canvas heavy duty bag with major straps and put him in the bag, strapped it to a luggage rack and was off to the airport......WELL>>>>>>> I was worried they would bust me on the weight, so we were all laughing as I tried to pretend it was light as I hoisted it on the xray belt....I swear I broke a blood vessel....anyway, whewwww....I made it home free right???? WRONG! We get to the gate for the plane and it was a 747 with STAIRS!!!!!!!!!!!! you heard me, STAIRS....OH MY GOSH>>>>. I didnt know how I would ever make it up without dying, I was carrying a dead body in a bag, and was trying to pretend it was a pillow.....I made it up, and was literally panting when I got to the top of the plane, THEN it wouldnt fit overhead OR under my seat...OH, NO....what now.????? the stewardess offered to take it , Of course I jumped and said OH, no, it has a little bit of weight to it, can I put it behind the seat at the end of this section??? thank god she let me, so here he is. WORTH ABSOLUTELY EVERY OBSTACLE, and obviously meant to be.

A great frame from my favorite textile dealer in Paris. It is so unique, the image is actually my face imposed on the lady, and the cherub on the left was my son when he was just 2.

This is an antique face screen, it would be positioned on a high slim table, to sheild a ladies face from the fire, so her wax based makeup would not literally run. That way she could still sit close enough to the fire to keep warm.This isnt a cherub, but dont all angels play the harp???? I had to include this one from my music room. Happy Valentines Day. I hope you find beauty in everything you see, patina instead of age, and realize when the angels are smiling down on you....PEACE

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

It is so so good to be back home after a month away.....
I have hit the ground running and have enjoyed every second of it....
As I promised, I plan to get some of the pictures out of the shows that we were at.And fill you in on the new goodies for this market season.
These girls stole the show....

I have collected antique french Opera cards for years.....I go often to the Paris Flea Markets, and have my favorite "haunts" that I can sit and rifle through cards for hours, looking at the costumes, the expressions, and the beautiful hand tinting that is in some of these cards. I think I could stay in some stalls for days, but my sweet husband (who is a saint by the way) puts up with alot. But to ask to stand patiently for too too long, sometimes is pushing it.
Anyway, I decided to incorporate these lovely ladies into my line somehow, but I wasnt really quite sure how well recieved they would be.......I mean, I LOVE them, but will you??????? YES,, YES..YES....... I am soooo happy, they were big hits. I am so happy. I feel like Sally Fields....You like them, you REALLY like them.
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The little individual stars were such a fun look for alot of stores to carry. And of course the Opera house is over the top.....
This is the entire antique map of paris...all on 8 small pictures. One of my personal favorites.
Rudy was all dress up for the show.
The shed has a new home, in someones store, her name is Gina, and she couldnt be more excited. I will have to post a pic. of the shed in its new domain.
More to come..................